Table 4
Summary of the main mechanisms of action and advantages of viscosifying polymer systems to improve the polymer flooding process.
System | Mechanism | Advantages* |
---|---|---|
Hydrophobically Modified Associative Polymers (HMAP) | Hydrophobic association effect of the groups inserted in the main chain |
|
Thermo-Viscosifying Polymers (TVP) | Thermosensitive sequences are reversibly self-aggregating by the formation of physical interactions, forming hydrophobic microdomains |
|
Polymer systems with nanoparticles | Physical or chemical interactions between nanoparticles and functional groups in the polymer chain |
|